Worried about Ball Python?

Question

Alright so I just gave her, her first live meal about a day ago(Yeah you can disagree or agree that I gave it live but really it isn't your concern what I feed it as long as I am taking safety precautions and I have tried everything else) Since the meal she has been laying in her water dish half for the whole night , I removed it because it was quite dirty and rather big and put in her smaller one, she is now been fully submerged in that one as well for over 4 hours. I have inspected her and found little mites/ticks on her head and some on her back, now I was just wondering... During the day with the heat lamp the tank is 90 degrees and at night with the heat pad it's around 80, Could she just be in the water because of the mites or could it be that it is too hot? We have never had this problem before... only since I have given her a live feeding which leads me to believe that it could be she is still just digesting the mouse or trying to ward off mites by being in the water, Pls Help

Answer 1

100 % it is bathing because of the mites .you say you,ve had mites before has your viv got plenty of ventilation? as this could be causing your problem also i would say this is why your royal is not eating .solution strip your viv you can use a week bleach mix or of the shelf mite sprays wash all your decor hides and viv then then rinse well with just water if using bleech solution  i would just use kitchen towel on the floor for a few days forget about decor keep it clinical till you know the mites have gone  then put it back to how it was  whilst your doing this give your snake a good bath to get the mites of it good luck

Answer 2

I don't know what the first two answerers are talking about, but you definitely have a mite problem which needs to be addressed. The reason for the ball python soaking in the water dish has nothing to do with the temperature (which is fine, by the way) or with it having just fed. Mites are very uncomfortable to a snake and soaking helps to relieve some of the discomfort and also helps to drown some of the mites. Mites are one of the worst things that can happen to a snake collection. Whenever I go to a pet store and see a snake in the water bowl, it's almost always because it has mites. The best product on the market is Provent-a-mite, but it's not cheap. You can order it at http://lllreptile.com. Mites spread like wildfire, so if you have any other snakes, they will need to be treated as well. In the meantime, take everything out of the snake cage and scrub the cage well. Only put a large water bowl back in and some newspaper. Mites and their eggs will be hiding in all of your decorations and bedding. Mites can also give your snake respiratory infections. If left untreated, your snake will eventually stop feeding, it's skin will look like c**p, and it will wilt away to nothing and die if a respiratory infection doesn't kill it first. Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm sorry Jesska I highly disagree I would NEVER heat a snake soley with above heating UTH are IDEAL for snakes and I have never ever heard of anything catching on fire from one.

All the breeders and owners I know personally use UTH as snakes get heat from underneath not overhead. I would NEVER use anything but UTH for my snakes and neither would any of the breeders I know or the vet techs who own snakes.

If they were such a fire hazard then why have none of these people ever had a single incident with them? Overhead heating is appropriate for bearded dragons NOT snakes IMHO.

ETA: Snakes are nocturnal they come out at night and spend most of the day in hiding so if they collect heat from above they would be very inefficient at gathering heat wouldn't they? I have never seen a source that says snakes feel heat from above, they collect ground heat.

Answer 4

Honestly the light alone is plenty....the heating pad can cause burns on your snake and can be a major fire hazard.

But probably more likely its the mites....mites are like fleas on dogs and if not treated can cause anemia and even death...so get those treated immediately...it can be a pain in the butt because it may take you a couple times of treating to get rid of them. but be patient and clean the cage very good every time you treat.

Also its not uncommon for a snake to soak itself after a meal...they usually drink a large amount right after they have finished eating and then they will just soak...totally normal.

Its a good thing you checked for mites and as long as you get that taken care of you shouldnt have any problems...

and BOOOO to the people who give you Sh+& for feeding live mice....i feed live and only live to all my pets, and have never had any problems